23
1 Ibandla lonke laseliphakama lamqhuba lamusa kuPhilathu. 2 Basebemethesa icala besithi, “Indoda le siyifice ixhwalisa isizwe sakithi. Iphikisana lokuthela imithelo kuKhesari njalo izenza uKhristu, inkosi.”
3 Ngakho uPhilathu wasembuza uJesu wathi, “Uyinkosi yamaJuda na?”
“Kunjengoba usitsho,” waphendula uJesu.
4 UPhilathu wasebikela abaphristi abakhulu kanye lexuku labantu wathi, “Kangiboni lutho lokwethesa umuntu lo icala.”
5 Kodwa bagcizelela bathi, “Udunga abantu kulolonke elaseJudiya ngemfundiso yakhe. Waqalisa eGalile, usehambe wonke umango waze wazafika lapha.”
6 Esezwe lokhu uPhilathu wabuza ingabe indoda leyo yayingumGalile na. 7 Esezwile ukuthi uJesu wayengaphansi kombuso kaHerodi wamthumela kuHerodi owayeseJerusalema ngalesosikhathi.
8 UHerodi wathi embona uJesu wathaba kakhulu ngoba wayevele etshisekela ukumbona. Ethathela kulokho ayekuzwile ngaye, wayelindele ukumbona esenza omunye umangaliso. 9 Wamjinga ngemibuzo, kodwa uJesu akaze amphendula. 10 Abaphristi abakhulu labafundisi bomthetho labo babemi khonapho bemangalela ngokuthukuthela. 11 UHerodi lamabutho akhe basebemchothoza njalo bamhoza. Bamgqokisa isigqoko esihle, basebembuyisela kuPhilathu. 12 Ngalelolanga uHerodi loPhilathu babangabangane kodwa mandulo kwalokhu babeyizitha.
13 UPhilathu wabizela ndawonye abaphristi abakhulu lababusi kanye labantu 14 wathi kubo, “Lingilethele umuntu obekhuthaza abantu ukwenza umvukela. Sengimhlolile phambi kwenu, kodwa kangifumananga lutho kulokhu elimangalela khona. 15 LoHerodi kafumananga lutho, ngoba usemphendukisile kithi; njengoba libona, kenzanga lutho olufanele ukuthi abulawe. 16 Ngakho ngizamjezisa nje besengimkhulula.” [ 17 Kwakumele akhulule isibotshwa esisodwa esiyabe sikhethwe ngabantu mhla wedili.]*
18 Bamemeza ngalizwi linye bathi, “Msusele khatshana umuntu lo! Sikhululele uBharabhasi!” 19 (UBharabhasi wayephoselwe entolongweni ngenxa yokuvusa isiphithiphithi edolobheni langenxa yokubulala.)
20 Kwathi ngoba efuna ukumkhulula uJesu, uPhilathu waphinda wathi kabake bacabange njalo. 21 Kodwa baqhubeka bememeza besithi, “Mbethele! Mbethele!”
22 Waphinda wakhuluma labo okwesithathu wathi, “Ngani na? Umuntu lo wenze cala bani? Angiboni lutho kuye olungafanela isigwebo sokuthi abulawe. Ngakho-ke, ngizakuthi kajeziswe besengimkhulula.”
23 Kodwa baklabalala beqinisa ukuba kabethelwe, lakanye ukugcizelela kwabo kwaphumelela. 24 Ngakho uPhilathu wasemisa ukwemukela izifiso zabo. 25 Wayikhulula indoda leyo eyayiphoselwe entolongweni ngenxa yesiphithiphithi lokubulala, eyiyo abayicelayo, wanikela uJesu kubo ukuthi benze intando yabo.
Ukubethelwa Esiphambanweni
26 Bathi sebemqhuba babamba uSimoni waseKhureni owayesuka emaphandleni, bamethesa isiphambano bathi kasithwale ngemva kukaJesu. 27 Walandelwa ngabantu abanengi kakhulu, kanye labesifazane ababemkhalela bebubula. 28 UJesu wanyemukula wathi kubo, “Madodakazi aseJerusalema, lingangikhaleli; zikhaleleni lina kanye labantwabenu. 29 Ngoba sizafika isikhathi lapho elizakuthi, ‘Babusisiwe abafazi abazinyumba, lezibeletho ezingazange zithwale kanye lamabele angazange amunyise!’ 30 Lapho-ke
‘bazakuthi ezintabeni, “Sembeseni!”†
Lakuwo amaqaqa bathi, “Welani phezu kwethu!” ’
31 Ngoba nxa abantu bezenza lezizinto lapho isihlahla simanzi, kuzakwenzakalani pho nxa sesomile?”
32 Amanye amadoda amabili, onke ayeyizigebenga, lawo aqhutshwa kanye laye esiyabulawa. 33 Bathi sebefike endaweni ethiwa luKhakhayi bambethela esiphambanweni kanye lezigebenga lezo, omunye ngakwesokunene kwakhe, omunye ngakwesokhohlo. 34 UJesu wathi, “Baba, baxolele, ngoba kabakwazi abakwenzayo.” Njalo basebesabelana izigqoko zakhe ngokutshaya inkatho.
35 Abantu bema bakhangela, ababusi bona bamklolodela. Bathi, “Wasindisa abanye, laye kazisindise nxa enguKhristu kaNkulunkulu, oKhethiweyo.”
36 Amabutho lawo eza amklolodela. Amnika iwayini elimunyu 37 athi, “Nxa uyinkosi yamaJuda, zisindise.”
38 Kwakulombhalo wokwazisa ngaphezulu kwakhe owawusithi:
Lo yiNkosi yamaJuda.
39 Omunye wezigebenga owayelenga khonapho wamthuka wathi, “Kanti kayisuwe uKhristu? Zisindise wena kanye lathi!”
40 Kodwa esinye isigebenga samkhuza sathi, “Kawumesabi na uNkulunkulu, njengoba ulesigwebo sinye laye. 41 Thina sijeziswa ngokusifaneleyo ngoba sizuza lokho okufanele izenzo zethu. Kodwa umuntu lo kenzanga lutho olungalunganga.”
42 Wasesithi, “Jesu, ungikhumbule nxa ungafika embusweni wakho.”
43 UJesu wamphendula wathi, “Ngiyakutshela iqiniso ngithi, lamuhla uzakuba lami epharadise.”
Ukufa KukaJesu
44 Kwasekuyisikhathi esingaba lihola lesithupha, ubumnyama bembesa lonke ilizwe kwaze kwaba lihola lesificamunwemunye, 45 ngoba ilanga lema ukukhanya. Ikhetheni lethempeli ladabuka kabili. 46 UJesu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi, “Baba, ezandleni zakho nginikela umphefumulo wami.” Esekutshilo lokhu waphefumula okokucina.
47 Induna yekhulu isibonile okwenzakeleyo yadumisa uNkulunkulu yathi, “Ngeqiniso lo ubeyindoda elungileyo.” 48 Kwathi bonke abantu ababebuthene ukuzabona isiga lesi sebebonile okwakwenzakele, bababuhlungu, babalosizi, babuyela emizini yabo. 49 Kodwa bonke ababemazi, kanye labesifazane abamlandela besuka laye eGalile, bema bucwala babukela okwakusenzakala.
Ukungcwatshwa KukaJesu
50 Kwakukhona indoda eyayithiwa nguJosefa, elilunga loMphakathi, eyindoda elungileyo njalo eqondileyo, 51 owayengakuvumanga lokho abakuqumayo labakwenzayo. Yena wayevela edolobheni lakoJuda okwakuthiwa yi-Arimathiya, njalo wayelindele umbuso kaNkulunkulu. 52 Waya kuPhilathu wayacela isidumbu sikaJesu. 53 Wasesethula wasigoqela ngelembu lelineni, wasibeka ethuneni elaligujwe edwaleni lingakaze lilale muntu. 54 Kwakulusuku lokuLungiselela, iSabatha selizaqalisa.
55 Abesifazane ababebuye loJesu esuka eGalile bamlandela uJosefa balibona ithuna lokuthi isidumbu sakhe salaliswa njani kulo. 56 Basebebuyela ekhaya bayalungisa amagcobo lamakha. Kodwa baphumula ngeSabatha bethobela umlayo.
* 23:17 Livesi kayikho kwamanye amaBhayibhili esiLungu. † 23:30 UHosiya 10.8